Locking device for gates



MaYZS, 1957 G. M. BLACK ETAL LOCKING DEVICE FOR GATES Filed Jan. 5. 1954 I N V EN TORS @f77/.Bh f/'aZ//ZB United rates Patent O LOCKING DEVICE FOR GATES Grover M.'Black and Carroll N. Bell, Dayton, Ohio Application January 5, 1954, Serial No. 402,234 z claims. (cl. 292-46) Thisinvention relates to improved locking mechanism for gates especially but not exclusively for lawn or fence gates, which have latching structure involving a flexible detent and a fixed or rigid keeper engaged thereby, and more particularly to a novel attachment adapted to be secured to the support carrying vthe latching structure detent and arranged to be engaged with the detent so as to prevent flexing of the detent to a released iposition and to be disengaged with the detent to permit normal flexing of the detent to a released position, relative to the keeper of the latching structure.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an efficient, practical, and easily installed device of the character indicated above which will, when in operative position, preclude opening of a closed gate by young children and animals.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a simple and rugged device of the character indicated above which can be made in an attractive and serviceable form at a low enough cost to insure widespread distribution and use thereof.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying ldrawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration rather than limitation, a specicembodiment of the invention is set forth in detail.

'In the drawings: y

Figure 1 is a fragmentary and contracted side elevation showing a conventional fence mounted gate having locking means equipped with a device in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational detail, partly in vertical longitudinal section and partly broken away, showing the device in operative retaining relation to the flexible detent of the gate locking mechanism;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a View substantially similar to Figure 2 but showing the device in inoperative relation to the detent;

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a View similar to a portion of Figure 2, but showing a padlock securably engaged with the device and the detent;

Figure 7 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section showing an alternative form of clamping means.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 9 generally designates a conventional form of swing gate positioned between longitudinally spaced vertical posts 10 and 11 of a fence or the like. The post 11 can be a building or other support.

The gate 9 includes a frame involving vertical side or end members 12 and 13, the member 12 being hingedly supported on the fence post 10 by conventional hinge means 14. Onthe gatel frame member 13 is mounted a conventional flexible detent 15 which is engageable, inv

the closed position of the gate 9, with a conventional fixed keeper 16 which is mounted on the fence post 11.

The detent 15 comprises a vertically elongated flexible arm 17 which is fixedly secured at its lower end to the 1 gate side. member 13, as indicated at 18, and carries on its upper end a flexible U-shaped clip or yoke 19. The flexible arm 17 inclines away from the gate side member 13 and the yoke or clip 19 extends toward and embraces the gate side member 13. v

The yoke or clip 19 includes a bight portion20 and arms 21, 21 which have at their free ends laterally inwardly curved abutment portions 22, 22 terminating in outwardly turned terminals 23, 23. The terminals 23, 23

post 11 toward the'gate 9. A curved securing flange 26l engages the opposite side of rthe post 11 from the flange 24 and is secured to the 'opposite ends of the flange 24 1 by means of bolts 27, 27. The horizontal flange 25, as

shown in Figure 3, has a generally arcuate free edge 28 which is provided intermediate its ends with a detent receiving notch 29 of slightly greater width than the bight portion 20 of the yoke or clip 19. The gate 9 is maintained in the closed `position by engagement of the bightr portion 20 of the yoke 19 in the notch 29, in a well known manner, and opening of the gate 9 in either direction is accomplished simply by pushing the gate 9 in the-desired direction so that the detentyoke 19 is cammed out -of the notch, against the tension of the de tent arm 17, by the related one of the cam noses 30, 30 provided at the opposite sides of the notch 29. The detent 19 can also be disengaged by hand from the notch` In accordance with the present invention, the above l' described gate latching mechanism is supplemented by a lock, generally designated 32, which comprises a relatively rigid, vertically elongated bar 33 having on its upper and lower ends right angular upper and lower ears 34 and 35, respectively, the upper ear 34 serving as a handle and stop and the lower ear 35 serving as a locking plate.

The middle of the bar 33 may be offset toward the side of the ears 34 and 35, as indicated at 36, to provide clearance with an element 37 on the gate side member 13, if desired. The bar 33 has upper and lower vertically elongated slots 38 and 39, respectively, which are located above and below the .offset part 36.

Extending through the lower slot 39 and threaded into a hole 40 previously provided in the gate side member 13 is a self-threading bolt or screw 41 having the shank 42 and the head 43. Circiunposed on the shank 42 and compressed between the head 43 and the adjacent side of the bar 33 are -washers 44 and 45, and a compressible spacer 46, of rubber or the equivalent, the last being under sumcient compression to cause strong frictional engagement of the washer 44 with the bar 33, which holds the lock 32 against vagrant vertical shifting of the lock 32 from a manually selected position relative to the gate side member 13.

The lock 32 is mounted by the bolt 41 on the gate side member 13 in such a position that when the lock 32 is in a depressed position with the bolt 41 engaged with the upper end of the lower slot 39, the locking plate 35 will Patented May 28, 1957 be positioned between the 4arms 21, 21-of the yoke '19, intermediate the upper and lower edges of the arms 21, 2l, as shown in Figures l, 2, 5, 6 and 7. As seen in Figures '2 and 3, theflocking pl'ate`3`5lis of "such length that its preferably squaredfreefend447 is then close to-the bight portion 20 of-'the clip or yoke 19. vAs aresult,-both exing of-Lhe `yoke 1\9 toward-the gate side member k13 and out of the notch 29 and sidewiseor rotative movement-of the lyoke 19 relative to ,the member 13 are precluded, and operationfof-` the gatelatching mechanism is precluded.

A`self-threading lock elampingbolt 4S extends through the upper slot 38 of the-lock 32 and-is threaded in a` hole 49 previously provided in the gate side member 1'3. The bolt 48'inclu'des a'shank 59 having a threaded outerend 51' upon 'which is threaded a wing nut 52. In the lock clamping positionthe'wingnut SZbears against the adjacent side of thelbar 33,-thenut52 being yadapted to be tightened by hand, to a degree sufficient to preclude its being loosened by small children, so that the lock 32 will be retained against Ybeing elevated out of locking position by small children, but can be loosened by persons having suicient strength.

The locking plate 35 is prefer-ably provided with a central hole 53 for accommodating, las shown in -Figures 6 and 7, the hasp 54 of a padlock 55, the hasp S4 being wide enough to embrace an arm 21 ofthe yoke 19 while passing through the locking plate hole 53, whereby the lock 32 is positively locked in its depressed detent locking position.

In an alternate arrangement, shown in Figure 8 of the drawings, a yself threading bolt 48 consists of a threaded shank 50 threaded in a hole 49 in the gate side member 13, and the shank 50 is integral with the wing nut 52', instead of having the wing nut threaded on the shank.

What is claimed is:

v l. A latch for a swinging gate adapted to be mounted on the free side'member of the gate opposite a notched keeper member adapted to be mounted on a stationary gate support adjacent to which the free side member is located in the closed position of the gate, said latch comprising a vertical bar extending lengthwise of said free side member, means mounting said vertical bar on said free side member and acting to confine said bar to endwise adjustment along said free side member and against rotation thereon, said bar having a lateral locking plate on one end thereof, a resilient yoke mounted on said free side member at said one end of the vertical bar and engageable in the notch of the keeper member in the closed position of the gate, said yoke having a U-shaped portion, including spaced arms located at opposite sides of said free side member and a .bight portion, said vertical bar being movable along said free side member from an inactive position to a locking position in which saidlocking plate is engaged between said arms and between the free side member and the bight portion on said yoke.

2. A latch for a swinging gate adapted to be mounted on the free side member of the gate opposite a notched keeper member adapted to be mounted on a stationary gate support adjacent to which the free side member is located in the closed position of the gate, said latch comprising a vertical bar extending lengthwise of said free side member, means mounting said vertical baron said free sidemember and acting to conne said bar to endwise adjustment along said free side member and against rotation thereon, said bar having a lateral locking plate on one end thereof, a resilient yoke mounted on said free side member at said one end of the vertical bar and engageable in the notch of the keeper member in the closed position of the gate, said yoke having a U-shaped portion including spaced arms located at opposite sides of said free side member and a bight portion, said vertical bar being movable along said free side member from an inactive position to a locking position in which said locking plate is engaged between said arms and between the free side member and the bight portion on said yoke, and means mounted on said free side member and act* ing on said vertical bar for releasably locking said vertical bar in either its inactive or its locking position.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 311,604 Pentz Feb. 3, 1885 1,054,290 Handler Feb. 25, 1913 1,131,403 Matthews Mar. 9, 1915 2,455,772 Jackle Dec. 7, 1948 

